Answer Book question
Yes. Since 31 December 2017, RBI requires banks to provide doorstep banking to customers over 70 and to differently-abled or infirm customers: cash pickup and delivery, cheque pickup, demand drafts, KYC documents and life certificates, at the home, on request, for a modest fee. Public sector banks run this through a common agency you can book by phone or app. Alongside: a basic savings account with no minimum balance is every person's right; senior citizens and the disabled get priority in locker allotment; and life certificates for pensioners can be given by video or through a doorstep visit.
Yes. Since 31 December 2017, RBI requires banks to provide doorstep banking to customers over 70 and to differently-abled or infirm customers: cash pickup and delivery, cheque pickup, demand drafts, KYC documents and life certificates, at the home, on request, for a modest fee. Public sector banks run this through a common agency you can book by phone or app. Alongside: a basic savings account with no minimum balance is every person's right; senior citizens and the disabled get priority in locker allotment; and life certificates for pensioners can be given by video or through a doorstep visit.
A 78-year-old in Kozhencherry with limited mobility needs ₹20,000 cash each month and must submit her annual life certificate. Her daughter in Muscat books doorstep banking through the public sector banks' common app; an agent brings the cash with a receipt and collects the certificate. The branch had told her 'she must come in person'. She must not.
RBI's circular of 9 November 2017 (Statement on Developmental and Regulatory Policies, followed by the December 2017 direction) required banks to offer senior citizens over 70 and differently-abled persons: doorstep banking including pickup of cash and instruments against receipt, delivery of cash against withdrawal, delivery of demand drafts, submission of KYC and life certificates; dedicated counters or priority service; cheque book facility without insistence on physical presence; automatic conversion of accounts to senior-citizen accounts on the customer reaching 60; and simplified ways to give Form 15G/H.
Public sector banks consolidated doorstep services under the PSB Alliance 'Doorstep Banking' platform (app, portal and toll-free number), with service charges per visit capped and disclosed; private banks offer equivalents. Basic Savings Bank Deposit Accounts (BSBDA) must be offered to any individual with no minimum balance and free basic services. RBI also requires banks to provide the pension life certificate through video (Jeevan Pramaan) or doorstep.
Grievances go to the bank's nodal officer and then the RBI Ombudsman.
The customer's age or disability on record with the bank (upload proof once) Whether the branch is enrolled in the doorstep scheme and the fee per visit A signed standing request at the branch for doorstep service and for recurring needs Life certificate method: video (Jeevan Pramaan) or doorstep Nominee and joint-holder arrangements so that cash needs do not depend on a single person's mobility
Using the ATM card and PIN of the parent 'to help'. It violates the card terms and removes the bank's liability if something goes wrong. Use the doorstep service or a legitimate mandate. Also: not knowing that the service exists because the branch never mentioned it.
Kerala's demographics make this the most under-used support you may qualify for in the book. Children abroad can book the service on the parent's behalf through the app if the parent's mobile number is registered. For Kerala cooperative banks under RBI (district and state level), the same rules apply; for societies, ask; many have their own arrangements.
Cash delivery ₹20,000: service charge of a few tens of rupees per visit under the PSB platform (verify the current tariff). Life certificate via doorstep: one visit a year. Versus: a private car to the branch and a day of the family's time.
Large cash amounts have per-visit caps; the service is for routine needs. It does not replace KYC updates that the law requires in person or by video. Lockers cannot be accessed by doorstep.
Register the parent's age or disability and mobile number at the branch Book the first doorstep visit through the bank's app or the PSB doorstep helpline Set up Jeevan Pramaan or doorstep life certificate before the November deadline
My old account went dormant. Can the bank charge me to revive it or penalise me for low balance? How do I organise my parents' finances before there is an emergency? (Vol 1)
Retirement & parents
005/2017-18, 9 November 2017, on banking facilities for senior citizens and differently abled persons · RBI Master Circular on Customer Service (BSBDA provisions) · PSB Alliance Doorstep Banking service terms Last checked: 22 August 2026. Rates, limits and whether you may qualify change. Confirm with the official source before you act. Ask Kerala Rising: Use only general, non-identifying facts.
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This page is general orientation, not personal insurance, investment, medical, legal, lending, tax, employment, or professional advice. Rules, rates, deadlines, and decisions can change. Confirm the current position with the named official source and use a licensed or qualified professional where your situation requires one. Kerala Rising does not decide whether you may qualify, approve claims, or promise an outcome.